Crisp pale-clouded (and ultimately unassuming) moderate body neither as overtly sweet nor as heavily carbonated as more compelling banana-clove-influenced wheat rivals. Sour yeast consumes lemony grapefruit-orange wisp to doughy white-breaded spine. Slight metallic tinniness hampers washed-out finish.
All posts by John Fortunato
GREAT DIVIDE TITAN INDIA PALE ALE
Dramatic dry-hopped fruit-malted amber-rusted IPA blankets floral apricot-pineapple-mango-papaya tang with mild pine-needled orange-peeled grapefruit rind bittering atop creamy caramel malting. Straw wheat base picks up resinous earthen vegetal reminder, fluctuant almond-pecan nuttiness and lingered rosebud-dandelion accents.
GREAT DIVIDE SAMURAI ALE
Indistinct light-bodied pale straw blonde ale plies sticky rice cake, glutinous wheat, and biscuit-y barley sweetness to depletive phenol hop fizz. Faint lemony grapefruit peel and black currant bittering lose out to green grape and green apple souring before soapy astringency debunks wobbly honeyed citric sedation.
GREAT DIVIDE ST. BRIGID’S PORTER
Robust dry-bodied Irish-styled lactic porter gains enticing coffee bean roast above black chocolate bittering. Fizzy hop char dulls char-coaled walnut coarsing, soured raisin-plum undertones, and lilting burgundy tease. Rich mocha malting permeates bittersweet mocha-chalked finish.
GREAT DIVIDE RIDGE LINE AMBER ALE
Unbound copper-toned medium-bodied Scottish ale frustratingly wobbles. Peculiarly funky raw-honeyed glutinous wheat souring displaces preferred maple-sugared caramel malting abating mildly embittered lemony peach-tangerine tang and acrid chestnut-walnut roast. Harshly metallic, dankly vegetal finish cloaks nutty respite and herbaceous hint.
GREAT DIVIDE OLD RUFFIAN BARLEY WINE
Emboldened rust-brown-clouded barleywine nestles chewy brown-sugared caramel-chocolate malting beside black cherry-pureed candied apple glaze and sharp citric tang, retaining emphatic bite. Cedar-chipped almond toasting and terse hazelnut niche calm down surging pine-hopped aggression. Rounded floral bouquet tempts dry bourbon finish, retaining strong bite. On tap at Ambulance, creamy brown chocolate sweetness gained pronounced black cherry, fig, prune and orange notions. Powerful ruffian never fails to delight.
GREAT DIVIDE OAK AGED YETI IMPERIAL STOUT
Terrifically robust mahogany dry stout opens with dark-roasted black chocolate insistence firmly underscored by oak-singed black molasses, roasted coffee, espresso, dried cocoa, ashen walnut, pecan and hazelnut. Cedar-burnt hop bittering heightens residual sour raspberry, vinous white grape, pureed black cherry and emerging bourbon theme thickening to coarse tar-like tobacco chew finish. Creamy vanilla fudge reminder scours earthy bottom.
GREAT DIVIDE MAVERICK INDIA PALE ALE (2003 SERIES)
Hazy orange-yellow glow suits highly hop-embittered citric ale calming to mildly spiced lemon-peeled grapefruit rind souring. Piney bottom develops legs but astringent finish may be off-putting to amateurs.
GREAT DIVIDE MAVERICK IMPERIAL STOUT
Gritty ebony dry body greets rigid dark chocolate entry with espresso-milked coffee bean souring. Prune-stewed black cherry undertones infiltrate piney-hopped burnt cedar spell and charcoal-lined nutty bottom to abrupt maple molasses finish.
GREAT DIVIDE MAVERICK FRESH HOP PALE ALE (2003 SERIES)
Floral-hopped copper-toned meringue-headed bitter retains creamy flow, spry spruce sweetness, slight citric sourness, and mild tea daub as harvest wheat earthiness picks up grassy remnant. Compares favorably to Stone Anniversary Ales.
GREAT DIVIDE HIBERNATION ALE
Bright orange-cherry-peach entry of heady traditional full-bodied English-styled winter ale gathers reliable nut-grain confluence and barley-hopped chocolate roast to honeyed wheat bottom. Fresh grass-hay-moss earthiness boosts sharp spicy fruitiness before fig-date souring influences burnt cedar finish.
GREAT DIVIDE HERCULES DOUBLE INDIA PALE ALE
Engaging rocky headed rust amber I.P.A. counters tranquil chocolate malt nosing and sweet caramel mouthfeel with jaunty bitter hop spicing. Spruce and pine outline unwavering sticky mocha malt seduction to perfection.